Automatic apparatuses are known for introducing dosed amounts of powder and/or particulate material, for example of medicinal preparations, into small bottles or other containers. Such apparatus typically include a conveyor for moving the bottles in single row and interceptor elements that will interfere with the flow of bottles so as to cyclically stop each bottle and position same for filling at a filling station and thereafter at a closure station.
When a doser-dispenser unit of known rotary type is used at the filling station, said unit usually rotates around a transverse axis which is perpendicular to the path of travel of the bottles. This type of operation entails the following drawbacks:
If the amount to be introduced into the bottles is, for example, double of the maximum single dose that said apparatus can supply, each bottle is usually stopped under said doser-dispenser unit during a period of time which is the double as that required to introduce one single dose, which obviously will reduce by half the production capacity of the apparatus; an attempt to overcome this drawback, for example by arranging successively a plurality of identical doser-dispenser units, or by replacing the said unit with another one having a higher dosing capacity, would entail constructional complications and higher operation costs.
The possibility that residues of material on the surfaces of the emptied chambers of the doser-dispenser unit (which rotates at relatively high speed), could be thrown by centrifugal force against the row of bottles and could soil their outer surface.
The above inconveniences are overcome, according to the present invention, by an improved automatic apparatus for forming and introducing dosed amounts of powdered or loose material into bottles or other containers. The apparatus of the invention comprises a plurality of doser-dispenser units disposed sequentially after each other and rotating about a common shaft which is parallel to the path of travel of said bottles so as to obtain an apparatus of simplified construction with higher operative capacity, and by avoiding centrifugal projections of said material onto the outer surface of the bottles.
The characterizing features of the apparatus according to the invention, and the advantages derived therefrom, will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment, made with reference to the attached drawings.